Title 40 - Professions and Occupations

CHAPTER 54.DEALERS IN PRECIOUS METALS

SECTION40-54-10.

Definitions.As used in this chapter:(

1) "Dealer" means any person, corporation, or partnership who buys precious metalor precious or semiprecious stones or gems from the general public, whether in bulkor in manufactured form, with intent to obtain a monetary profit for himself or for aprincipal.

(2) "

Precious metal" means any article made in whole or in part of gold, silver, orplatinum

.(3) "Precious or semiprecious stone or gem" means any stone or gem that is rare or costly orany stone or gem that is of lower value than those classified as precious.(4) "Local law enforcement agency" means the chief of police for businesses located within thecorporate limits of a municipality and the county law enforcement agency for businesseslocated outside the corporate limits of a municipality.(5)

"Permanent place of business" means a fixed premises either owned by thedealer or leased by him. One year's lease is a presumption of permanency

.(6) "Places proposed to do business" means the counties or municipalities in which the dealerintends to purchase precious metals or precious or semiprecious stones or gems or bothprecious metals and precious or semiprecious stones or gems.(7) "Purchase" means the acquisition of precious metal or precious or semiprecious stones orgems or both precious metal and precious or semiprecious stones or gems for a considerationof cash, goods, or other precious metals or precious or semiprecious stones or gems or bothprecious metals and precious or semiprecious stones or gems. Trade-ins are covered by theprovisions of this chapter unless the item traded was purchased directly from the dealerallowing the trade.

SECTION40-54-20.

Permit required; form; contents of application; investigation; issuance;term; fee; denial, suspension or revocation.No dealer as defined herein shall operate in the State of South Carolina unless he first obtainsa permit to engage in the business of purchasing precious metals from the local lawenforcement agency and operates only from a permanent place of business.

No dealer shalloperate upon public property nor from a vehicle, flea market, hotel room or similartemporary location.

The form of the permit to engage in the business of purchasing precious metals shall beprescribed by the State Law Enforcement Division and all applicants for a permit under thischapter, whether a person, firm or corporation, shall file a written sworn application signed bythe applicant if an individual, by all the partners if a partnership, and by the president if acorporation, with the local law enforcement agency showing:(a) The names of the persons managing, supervising or conducting the applicant's business inany places proposed to carry on business; the addresses of such persons; the driver's licensenumber of such persons; the capacity in which such persons will act, that is, whether as

proprietor, agent or otherwise; the name and address of the person, firm or corporation forwhose account the business will be carried on, if any; and if a corporation, the state of incorporation.(b

) The permanent places of business and other places in the State of South Carolinawhere it is proposed to carry on the applicant's business and the places where theapplicant has carried on the business of purchasing precious metals within one yearpreceding the date of such application.

(c) Such other reasonable information as to the identity of the persons managing, supervisingor conducting the applicant's business as the local law enforcement agency may deem properto fulfill the purposes of this chapter.(d) A statement of the nature, character and quality of the precious metals to be purchased inthe business.Upon receipt of such application for a permit, the local law enforcement agency shall cause aninvestigation of such person's business and personal background to be made. Suchinvestigation shall be limited to information pertinent to the purpose of this chapter. If, as aresult of the investigation, the background is found to be unsatisfactory, the permit shall bedenied. The permit shall be denied or issued within thirty days from the date of application.Upon the issuance of the permit, the local law enforcement agency shall notify the State LawEnforcement Division of the locations where the permit holder proposes to carry on hisbusiness. The permit issued under this chapter shall be valid for a period of one year from thedate issued and the annual fee shall be fifty dollars to provide for the administrative costs. If the dealer intends to operate from more than one location within the State, then separatepermits shall be issued for each place of business; provided, however, only one annual feeshall be collected.The permits under this chapter shall be in addition to and not in lieu of other businesslicenses.A permit may be denied, suspended or revoked at any time if the local law enforcementagency discovers that the information on the application is inaccurate or the dealer orapplicant does not comply with the requirements of this act. The permit holder shall notify,within ten days, the local law enforcement agency if any substantive changes occur in thepermanent place of business in the persons managing, supervising or conducting theapplicant's business, or in the places the permit holder intends to do business.

SECTION40-54-30.

Permit to be posted.

A permit issued under this chapter shall be posted conspicuously at all places of business named therein.SECTION40-54-40.Dealer to keep records of certain purchases; identification of seller required; seller's identity not to be publicized.Every dealer shall keep a book in which must be written at the time of any purchaseof precious metal or precious or semiprecious stones or gems made from the generalpublic, whether in bulk or manufactured form, the date of purchase, amount of money or other property exchanged for the metal, stones, or gems, the name, sex,race, age, address, and driver's license number of the person selling the items,articles, or things bought, and the number and nature and brand name of the items,articles, or things. Descriptions must include size, weight, patterns, or engraving orany unusual identification marks. If the seller does not have a driver's license, someother positive identification bearing his photograph and an identifying number may

be substituted. If the seller cannot produce a driver's license or other positiveidentification, the dealer may not buy any merchandise from him. Every dealer shall,at the time of purchase, obtain the signature of the seller as part of the recording of the transaction.The record book must be kept for three years and at all reasonable times must beopen to the inspection of any judicial or law enforcement officials or their designees.The local law enforcement agency may not reveal a seller's identity supplied underthis section except to other law enforcement agencies and prosecuting officials orpursuant to the valid order of a court or in the course of any criminal investigation orprosecution.SECTION40-54-50.

Purchases from minors; retention period of precious metals purchased;goods subject to inspection.(A) No dealer may purchase any precious metal from a minor unless accompanied by hisparent or guardian with appropriate identification.(B

) All precious metals purchased by a dealer shall be held by the dealer at hispermanent place of business or at another suitable location in the State of SouthCarolina without being resold, melted or altered in any manner, for a

period of seven days from the purchase date

. All goods required to be held underthis section shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any lawenforcement agency

SECTION40-54-60.

Permit required for possession of certain equipment.Possession of equipment which has been used, or is being used for the melting, crushing oraltering of the precious metals is unlawful unless possessed by a dealer with a valid permit asprovided in Section 40-54-20.

SECTION40-54-70.

Civil liability of dealer to owner for knowingly purchasing stolen metal;reimbursement to dealer by owner under certain conditions.Any dealer buying precious metal with knowledge that the metal has been stolen shall beliable to the lawful owner of such metal in an amount triple the fair market value of the stolenitems, computed at the time of the theft, and shall be liable for a reasonable attorney's fee asthe court in its discretion may award. This shall be a civil remedy and in addition to any otherremedies provided by the law. Provided, any dealer, having purchased precious metal incompliance with the provisions of this chapter, such metal subsequently being shown to havebeen stolen by a member of the immediate family of the rightful owner, may demandreimbursement from the owner equal to the amount paid for the metal before returning themetal to the owner.

SECTION40-54-80.

Penalties.Any dealer violating the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanorand upon conviction, for a first offense, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars orimprisoned not more than ninety days, or both. A second offense conviction shall bepunishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or imprisonment not more thanone year, or both. A third or subsequent offense conviction shall be punishable by a fine of notmore than five thousand dollars or imprisonment not more than three years, or both. A dealerconvicted of a second offense shall be ineligible for a permit to conduct business in precious